Mazda’s R&D project for renewable diesel from algae selected for Japan’s NEDO program
Mazda Motor Corp. announced Oct. 7 that its research and development project, “Development of High-Density Microalgal Biofuel,” aimed at real-world deployment of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, refined from lipids extracted from microalgae has been selected for the fiscal-year 2026 “Program to Develop and Promote the Commercialization of Energy Conservation Technologies to Realize a Decarbonized Society” of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Under the selected project, Mazda will leverage the research findings it has accumulated to date on the microalgae-derived biofuels.
Focusing on microalgae, which present minimal risk of competing with food crops or contributing to deforestation and can efficiently produce lipids in limited spaces, the company will conduct research and development covering the entire process from cultivation through lipid extraction.
Furthermore, with the cooperation of Idemitsu Kosan, Mazda will study the production of renewable diesel using the extracted lipids as feedstock.
The company will work toward the real-world deployment of these research findings and, as one potential application, aims to begin using renewable diesel as factory-fill fuel for all Mazda diesel vehicles built at its plants in Japan in the early 2030s.
Following the project’s selection for the NEDO program, Takeji Kojima, a director and chief strategy officer with Mazda, said, “In response to the critical challenge of achieving carbon neutrality, Mazda is working with partner companies and government organizations that share the same vision to help build a regionally based circular-energy society under its multisolution strategy. Through the widespread adoption of HVO derived from microalgae, we aim to contribute to greater domestic energy self-sufficiency, sustainable regional development and enhanced industrial competitiveness. Looking ahead to 2035, we remain committed to realizing Mazda’s vision—‘the joy of driving fuels a sustainable tomorrow.’”
Since the 2010s, Mazda has been engaged in research and development on microalgae-derived fuels through joint research with academic institutions and cultivation trials at its plants.
HVO produced from lipids generated by microalgae is considered a promising liquid fuel for helping realize a carbon-neutral society, the company added.
Through its research and development to date, Mazda has established technology for efficiently producing lipids from microalgae and confirmed the capability to produce more than 1 liter of fuel in approximately two weeks using a 1,000-liter culture tank.
Building on these achievements, Mazda said it will continue advancing research and development toward the practical application of microalgae-derived fuels.
